MLB Power Rankings 2012: Early-Season Underachievers Ready to Break out

Major League Baseball teams bear the burden of playing almost every day for six straight months. While there are going to be hot and cold spells, the worst possible thing that can happen is a slow start right out of the gate. 

Everyone has expectations coming into the year, and when you fail to live up to that billing right away it causes mass panic. The important thing to remember is, the baseball season is a marathon not a sprint. 

In honor of all the slow starts in MLB, here are the teams that looked ice cold the first two months who are ready to hit their stride as the calendar flips to June. 

New York Yankees (26-21 Overall, 6-4 Last 10 Games)

Things could not have started worse for the Yankees. They lost Michael Pineda for the year before he threw a pitch in the regular season; Freddy Garcia pitched like Freddy Garcia; Phil Hughes pitched like Freddy Garcia in April. Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez were not hitting the ball hard. 

Now, with the weather heating up—and, admittedly, an easy schedule at their disposal—the Yankees are starting to play like everyone thought they would. 

As long as CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte are able to hold up for the rest of the season, look for them to make their push to the top of the American League East. 

Los Angeles Angels (24-25 Overall, 7-3 Last 10 Games)

The signing of Albert Pujols clouded the flaws the Angels still had in the lineup. It wasn't until Mike Trout was brought up from Triple-A and inserted into the leadoff spot that this team took off. 

Pujols is going to be the key to the Angels the rest of this season—and he has started to drive the ball much better in the last two weeks—but Trout has given them the spark they need. They are not going to be one of the best offensive teams in the league, but their starting pitching is so deep they just have to be adequate to get by. 

They will be tested this week, with three-game series against the Yankees and Texas. If they can get through that with a 4-2 record, things could start to get very interesting the American League West. 

Cincinnati Reds (27-20 Overall, 8-2 Overall)

My enthusiasm for the Reds is tempered by my disdain for Dusty Baker as a manager. However, using Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning on Sunday to get Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki out before coming out to get the save in the ninth was a stroke of genius. 

Baker and his pension for treating a pitcher's arm like his own personal chew toy still scares me, but their lineup is starting to play up to its potential and Mat Latos has pitched much better since that April 18 start against St. Louis when he gave up eight runs in 5.2 innings. 

If Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto continue to pitch well behind Latos in the rotation, the Reds will be much better than they already are. 

2012 MLB POWER RANKINGS, WEEK OF MAY 28-JUNE 3
1. Texas Rangers
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Washington Nationals
6. New York Yankees
7. Chicago White Sox
8. St. Louis Cardinals
9. Cincinnati Reds
10. Cleveland Indians
11. New York Mets
12. Toronto Blue Jays
13. Miami Marlins
14. Detroit Tigers
15. Boston Red Sox
16. Atlanta Braves
17. Philadelphia Phillies
18. Los Angeles Angels
19. San Francisco Giants
20. Oakland A's
21. Houston Astros
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
23. Arizona Diamondbacks
24. Seattle Mariners
25. Kansas City Royals
26. Milwaukee Brewers
27. Colorado Rockies
28. San Diego Padres
29. Minnesota Twins
30. Chicago Cubs

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